Weather: News-wise, I’m not gonna lie to you, it’s gonna suck harder than a Hoover vacuum in a black hole. But while the headlines are a disaster buffet, and no, you can’t skip the sides, thank the maker for small mercies (at least if you live in Seattle): clear skies and a high of 85. Sure, the world spirals into climate collapse and political absurdity, at least the sun’s still pretending everything’s fine.
Not all of Western Washington is catching a break, though. Temps hit the 90s in some areas yesterday, and since we now live in a world where the weather is actively trying to kill us, the National Weather Service has extended its Heat Advisory through Thursday for parts of the Puget Sound region. Meanwhile, the Cascades are under a Red Flag Warning thanks to hot, dry, wildfire-friendly conditions. The NWS is basically pleading with people not to keel over in the heat, especially the young, the elderly, and anyone stuck without A/C. So here’s the plan: hydrate, avoid the sun like it’s your ex with a grudge, and try not to burst into flames before the weekend.
The Tooth Fairy Lives in Seattle: I know this isn’t the most important story, but hell, we’re going to need to start off with something light. Dr. Purva Merchant, a pediatric dentist in the 206, has been the secret Tooth Fairy for the past 20 years, quietly replying to over 6,000 email pleas from kids and parents around the world. What started as a fluke email grew into a mission to “preserve the magic”, sending whimsical, comforting responses (and a dollar or two) to reassure kids that growing up isn’t so scary. Signed off with a warm “Happy growing up,” her notes are a reminder that small acts of kindness can shield innocence in a world that’s increasingly harsh.
Fiscal Gaslighting: Senate Republicans pushed through a $9 billion Trump-backed clawback package that guts funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, including NPR and PBS. Of course, nothing says “fiscal sanity” like cutting global health programs and public media in the middle of multiple crises. The bill passed by a razor-thin margin, with all Democrats and two Republicans voting no, and now heads back to the House. GOP leaders are calling it a commonsense move against “waste,” but let’s be real—this is about flexing power, punishing programs they politically dislike, and handing Trump another symbolic win.
But There’s Always Money for the Pentagon: Don’t worry, folks, if you thought maybe, just maybe, we’d cut a few bucks from the Pentagon’s bloated murder fund to help people not die in a flood or starve during a heatwave, think again. Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Act” cranks military spending up to a trillion dollars because apparently national security these days equates to 178 megatons of carbon emissions and enough firepower to blow up a planet we’re already cooking alive. Meanwhile, Americans are drowning, burning, or sizzling like bacon in a cast iron pan, and the response from the government is: cut food stamps, slash disaster aid, and cancel climate programs because that money is needed for bombs and billionaire tax breaks.
Central Banking, Now a Bloodsport: In true Trump fashion, a meeting that was supposed to be about crypto turned into a vent session about one of his favorite punching bags: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Trump waved around a draft letter to fire Powell like it was show-and-tell, griping that interest rates are too high and hinting (without evidence… surprise, surprise) that the Fed’s building renovation might be riddled with fraud. While some insiders say he’s just trolling, MAGA loyalists like Rep. Anna Paulina Luna are already cheering for Powell’s head on a pike. If Trump actually goes through with it, it’d be an unprecedented assault on Fed independence, and a reckless flex that could rattle the entire economy.
Coincidentally, Maurene Comey, daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, has been fired from her role as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York. She helped put Epstein’s partner in crime, Ghislaine Maxwell, behind bars and led separate cases against both Epstein and Sean “Diddy” Combs. Apparently, her last name was too much baggage for an administration hellbent on revenge and image control. No explanation given—just another quiet purge from a Justice Department that’s starting to look more like a loyalty cult than a legal institution. All of this comes as Trump World scrambles to bury the Epstein case, and maybe anyone who ever tried to expose it.
Trump Melts Down Over Epstein “Hoax”: In a chronic case of being unable to put the genie back in the bottle, Donald Trump continues his meltdown over the Epstein files after his own supporters refuse to let the story die. Trump, never one to handle being questioned (especially by his own base), went full unhinged boomer on Truth Social, rage-posting like a rejected Reddit mod and calling his supporters “weaklings.” He went on to accuse them of falling for a “radical left” scam. Meanwhile, MAGA loyalists and Republican heavyweights, from Marjorie Taylor Greene to Mike Johnson are demanding transparency, forcing Trump into the awkward position of disowning the very conspiracies he once perpetuated. Elon Musk, never one to miss a messy moment, chimed in to mock Trump’s “hoax” claims, basically telling him: if it’s fake, release the damn files. While I’m not holding my breath, if we’re lucky, this Epstein fiasco could do what no indictment or insurrection ever could: split MAGA from its messiah.
Thanks for Your Service! Now Let’s Deport Your Dad: Narciso Barranco, a father of three U.S. Marines, was just released after spending weeks in federal custody for the crime of… mowing a lawn while undocumented. ICE agents tackled him outside an IHOP, pinned him to the ground, and accused him of assault with a weed whacker. However, no assault charges were filed, of course, just the usual “you don’t belong here” charge from a country built entirely by people who didn’t belong here. His son, a Marine vet, picked him up and said what we’re all thinking: “We give everything to this country, and they still come for our parents.” Welcome to America, where the flag-waving never stops, but the compassion sure as hell does.
Israel has killed 93 Palestinians in just the last 24 hours, striking civilians sheltering in schools, and even a church. An Israeli tank shelled the Holy Family Church, killing two women and injuring a disabled child and the parish priest, because apparently no place is sacred anymore. In Khan Younis, what was billed as “aid” turned into horror when guards with the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation allegedly fired tear gas into a starving crowd, triggering a deadly stampede. Survivors aren’t buying the PR, demanding not food drops under fire, but open borders and the basic right to survive.
Pickleball for the Housed, Silence for the Displaced: A 54,000-square-foot indoor pickleball facility, Pickle at the Palms, is now under construction in the Interbay neighborhood, on the former site of Salmon Bay Village, a city-sanctioned RV and tiny home community for unhoused residents. The project, led by Seattle Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder and her family, promises a “premium” experience for pickleball enthusiasts, but has raised uncomfortable questions about what happened to the roughly 50 people displaced when the site shut down in May. While developers talk about community and the rise of America’s trendiest sport, nearby residents like 82-year-old Penny Fuller are asking the more pressing question: “Where do those people now live?”
Puppy Saved by Narcan: In a moment that somehow manages to be both heartbreaking and weirdly hopeful, a Lacey paramedic had to administer Narcan to a puppy likely exposed to fentanyl during a police investigation in a parked car. The little guy was unresponsive, barely breathing, until a small dose of the overdose-reversing drug brought him back. Within minutes, he was awake, tail wagging, and licking everyone like he just saved them. He’s now in the care of animal services.
To Leave You On: Yeah, this story’s a few days old, but it needs to be dragged back into the spotlight because it’s the kind of thing that slips into silence if we let it. Youman Wilder, founder of the Harlem Baseball Hitting Academy, had ICE agents roll up unannounced to a kids’ baseball practice on the Upper West Side and start interrogating his players, mostly Black and Latino teens, about where they and their parents were from. Wilder stepped in like any decent human should, told the armed goons the kids would be exercising their Fifth Amendment rights, and called the whole thing what it was: state-sanctioned intimidation. But here’s the part that guts you, speaking on MSNBC, he said what hurt most wasn’t the agents, but the people around them who said nothing. “I saw cowards,” he said. “And I hate to say that as somebody who loves their city.”
Ultimately, this isn’t just about ICE or one coach. It’s about what happens when cruelty shows up in public, and the crowd looks down at their phones. If we want to resist the machinery of fear and control that defines our current regime, then courage can’t be rare. It has to be reflexive, and not a one-person act.
